


every day, little by little, my time with you builds up

by nsofties



Series: the visible spectrum [3]
Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Falling In Love, Happy Ending, M/M, Mentioned Jung Yoonoh | Jaehyun, Mentioned Lee Donghyuk | Haechan, Mentioned Liu Yang Yang, Mentioned Mark Lee (NCT), Mentioned Wong Kun Hang | Hendery, Mentioned Zhong Chen Le, Snapshots, Strangers to Lovers, johnny is clumsy and awkward and kun is smitten
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-11
Updated: 2019-02-11
Packaged: 2019-10-26 11:54:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,916
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17745443
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nsofties/pseuds/nsofties
Summary: There are times in his life that Kun wishes that he could go back in time and change. For a moment, he thought that this would be one of them.“Well, I mean, I went on a few dates in high school, but I couldn’t even see color. I felt bad for them but, like, because of you I see colorandyou still said hi to me after I had to get stitches on the back of my head from hitting it on the counter.”“Wait, why wouldn’t I say hi because of that?”





	every day, little by little, my time with you builds up

**Author's Note:**

> just wanted to write something short... and nice... and happy…  
> so here are a few moments of kun falling in love with johnny.  
> not proof-read or beta'd or anything of that sort so there are probably typos! ;^;  
> just fun little moments.

“Don’t forget to submit the audio files by 5:00 PM - that’s 17:00 for those who use military time - on Sunday. The written portion is due by Tuesday at 11:59 PM - 23:59. Work will be docked twenty percent of the total points possible every day your assignment is late. I will accept emails if you are unable to submit your files through the submission page. Please email me if you have any questions!”

With that, Kun dismisses his class, and waits until all students are gone to pack up his own things. He loves - absolutely  _ loves _ \- teaching. Being a teacher is a fulfilling experience to Kun, even if the pay isn’t ideal. He isn’t surprised that he doesn’t have any questions, though he was still hoping for some, regardless. Glancing at his phone before he leaves, he reads the message from Sicheng which set off his phone in the middle of class.

 

**Sicheng Dong**

[14:00]

_ We’re all meeting at an ice cream shop in town that Renjun likes lately. Sending you the address. _

 

**Kun Qian**

[16:21]

_ I’ll see you all there! _

 

The ice cream shop is quiet, waves of patrons coming in and out as the seven friends crowd around a table in the corner. Kun blinks with wide eyes a few times, gaze trailing after the very tall, very clumsy owner of the ice cream shop who enters from a door behind the counter. He smiles gently at the cashier, who chats animatedly with him. Renjun smiles into his hand and laughs, breaking his concentration.

“Why’re you staring at him like he just kicked your cat or something, Kun?”

“He did _ something _ .”

“... Well, that’s vague.”

“I don’t know! He walked in and -  _ bam _ ! Everything was  _ way _ too bright, and I think I went blind for a second.”

“Oh, Kun. You fell in love.” Ten’s voice is wistful and accompanied by a knowing smile as he leans his head on his hand. Kun frowns, but says nothing until a swift kick under the table from Chenle forces him to contribute.

“I don’t  _ want _ to fall in love.”

“You can’t control your feelings, you know.”

“I  _ liked _ seeing in black and white.”

“Oh, stop complaining. He’s cute, at least. Your heart has good taste.”

The seven of them fall silent as the owner of the ice cream shop drops a stack of metal bowls before hitting his head on the counter as he leans down to pick them up. Kun groans softly, holding his head in his hands as he bemoans his choice in men.

“... Yup. A Keeper.”

“Shut  _ up _ , Dejun.”

 

* * *

 

“You gotta take  _ control _ , Kun. Mark and Donghyuck know the owner. His name’s Johnny. He’s an alumni from our university  _ and _ he’s single. Apparently he complains about it whenever they stop by. I say you take a shot and ask him on a date.”

Kun pointedly ignores Renjun as he wipes down his kitchen table. “Move your hands so I can clean.”

“ _ Kun _ . I know you think that the whole idea of falling in love is stupid, but you fell in love. You might as well  _ do _ something about it!”

“I’ve never even spoken to the man before, Renjun.”

“That’s true, but what you  _ did _ see of him was enough to fall in love.” He picks up his arms and watches dejectedly as Kun finishes wiping down the table. “Listen, Kun. I know that you’re hesitant about this kind of stuff because of what Doyoung went through, but don’t you remember how he  _ did _ fall in love in the end? He found Jaehyun. That whole three strikes and you’re out mentality is  _ wrong _ . They’re even  _ married _ now!”

“I just think it’s  _ stupid _ . I’m losing one of my chances -”

“Those are fake. You have as many chances as you want.”

“- on this man I’ve never spoken to.” Kun pretends that Renjun didn’t interrupt him and takes a seat back at the table once the dishes are in the drying rack.

“Take it, Kun. You’re twenty-eight. Maybe it’s okay to give this love thing a try.”

“... I’ll think about it.”

 

* * *

 

When Kun walks into the ice cream shop to meet up with everyone again, he’s surprised to see Johnny behind the counter, smiling brightly at him. He waves hesitantly, one hand gripped around the strap of his bag, and Johnny exuberantly waves back. Renjun elbows Kun, earning him a sharp glare and a headlock.

“I’m  _ twenty-five _ . Stop treating me like I’m  _ twelve _ .”

“Well, you’re still as tall as you were when you were twelve,” teases Sicheng from the table. “Come  _ on _ . Order your ice cream so Kun can tell us his teaching stories from the week.”

Kun reaches into his pocket for his wallet as he listens to Ten howl from laughter as he tries to recount Kun’s stories from last week. “Nothing interesting happened this week. They have an test next week, so I don’t  _ have _ stories.”

“What a shame. Last week’s were funny,” teases Johnny as he leans a hip against the counter. Kun feels the back of his neck heating up and pretends to be engrossed in choosing an flavor, even though everyone in the ice cream shop knows that Kun is going to choose the same ice cream flavor as always - cookies and cream. “Large or small?”

“Small,” answers Kun absently, not realizing he walked right into Johnny’s trap until the scoop of ice cream is right in front of his nose.

Johnny winks as he hands it to him, sure to flutter the napkin with the store’s logo in front of Kun’s face. He takes it shyly and tries to hand Johnny money, though he rejects it. Kun thinks that if he never sees someone wink at him again, it would be a good life. All in all, Johnny’s flirting would be frightening to Kun, if not for the bright red color of his ears. “It’s on the house. For all your stories that you tell when you come. They make working a little better.”

“Don’t you own this shop?”

“Yeah, but even your greatest passion can become monotonous if you aren’t surrounded by the right people.”

“Yeah, you’re right.”

 

* * *

 

**Johnny (?)**   
[11:07]

_ I was afraid you weren’t gonna message me lol _

_ Or call _

_ Or whatever _

 

**Kun Qian**

[11:10]

_ I got caught up grading a bunch of reports! _

_ But I wanted to thank you for the free ice cream _

_ I’ll be sure to come with good stories next week haha _

 

**Johnny Ice Cream Shop**

[11:12]

_ Or we can grab dinner sometime this week? _

_ My treat?  _

[11:20]

_ Was that too forward? _

 

**Kun Qian**

[11:21]

_ You did not just ask me out over text _

 

Moments after he sends the message, his phone begins to ring, and Kun scolds himself for the way his heart skips a beat before he answers the call. He knows that he’s new to this whole  _ dating _ and  _ having feelings _ thing, but he would be damned if he let Johnny ask him on a date through  _ text messages _ . Kun mutters something that sounds suspiciously like,  _ in your dreams, you fucking beanpole _ , to Ten, who sits next to him on the couch, before smiling politely.

“Hello?”

“Yeah, so, can you tell I haven’t done this dating thing like, ever?”

“...  _ Like, ever? _ ”

“Well, I mean, I went on a few dates in high school, but I couldn’t even see color. I felt bad for them but, like, because of you I see color  _ and _ you still said hi to me after I had to get stitches on the back of my head from hitting it on the counter.”

“Wait, why wouldn’t I say hi because of that?”

“And you’re  _ really _ cute and I figured that  _ maybe _ there was a chance you’d like me back, you know? Your friend - Renjun - he told Mark and Donghyuck to tell me that  _ you _ thought I was cute.”

As Kun listens to Johnny nervously ramble about anything  _ but _ asking Kun on a date, he takes a moment to reflect on how in the world he ended up falling for the nervous, stressed, and clumsy owner of an ice cream shop. He then wonders how the nervous, stressed, and clumsy owner of an ice cream shop ended up returning his feelings, falling for him, the over-caffeinated, high-strung, and burned out history teacher.

“All that to ask, will you go on a date with me?”

Kun hides his shy smile from Ten behind his hand as he hums. “I’d love to.”

 

* * *

 

“My best friend’s husband owns this restaurant,” brags Johnny as he holds the door open for Kun. The latter suppresses an amused smile as he hums, acknowledging his bragging. Kun also knows the owner of the restaurant, who greets him with a giant hug as he walks in.

“Kun! When you told me you were stopping by for dinner, I didn’t know it was on a  _ date _ !”

“You would’ve found out, anyways,” says Kun with a laugh. “And, you know Johnny, too.”

“I do - he and Jaehyun are friends from college.” Doyoung’s gummy smile breaks Johnny from his thoughts as waves a hand in his face. “You should’ve told Jaehyun who you were going on a date with! Kun and I were roommates in college. He’s one of my best friends!”

“I was afraid you two would do background checks on him or something,” mutters Johnny under his breath as he rubs the back of his neck. 

“Well, regardless! Kun, you know the table, right? The usual one, where you all usually sit.”

“Right. Thanks, Doie.”

“D-Doie?” stutters Johnny, scampering after Kun who takes two menus from the hostess’s hands before strolling confidently to a pair of double doors. He opens them confidently, entering the private dining area, sitting as Johnny scrambles to sit across from him. “ _ Doie _ ?”

“It’s his nickname from college.” Kun stops himself from rolling his eyes as he hands Johnny a menu. “He’s my best friend. Nothing more. You  _ know _ that. He’s married to our friend, Jaehyun.” Before Johnny can interject again, Kun nods his head. “ _ Anyways _ , we’re not here to talk about our mutual friends - well, I mean, we can, but we’re kind of on a date, so I was hoping to, you know, learn more about you? Since we’re on a date and all.”

“Can I just say that I’m surprised we  _ never _ met up until now, considering how many mutual friends we have?”

“I actually just moved here in July. There was a job opening and Doyoung sent me the ad. I was pretty comfortable in my job in my old city, but I thought it would be nice to be near all my friends again,” explains Kun with a gentle smile. “I missed everyone, and it felt like a good time to come back home.”

“Well, I’m glad you did. Or I never would’ve met you.”

Kun pretends to look deep in thought until Johnny’s concerned expression makes him laugh. “You’re right. I’m glad I did, too. Or I never would’ve met you.”

 

* * *

 

Johnny doesn’t kiss Kun on the first date. Or the second date. Or the third. By the fourth, Kun is sulking on Ten’s couch, one arm hanging off the side and head in Doyoung’s lap. He isn’t sure  _ what _ he’s done wrong so far, whether he let Johnny think he wasn’t  _ interested _ in that or something, but he wants to  _ fix _ it. Doyoung placates his whining by running his fingers through his hair as he shakes his head.

“I’ll have Jae talk to Johnny about it if you’re thi -”

“No! No, no, no. Communication is important in a relationship, right? If I want to make this work, then I need to talk to him.”

“I’m  _ telling _ you he’s just oblivious, Kun. He probably doesn’t even know. He looks like he’s gonna vomit from being nervous whenever you walk into the ice cream shop.”

“Am I scary?”

“No, honey. He’s just panicking,” consoles Ten, patting Kun’s shin comfortingly. “Doyoung, send The Message.”

“The message? What message?” Kun sits up as Doyoung retracts his hand, reaching for his phone on the end table. “I never liked when you two had a plan I didn’t know about. What are you doing?”

“Relax, Kun. Everything is gonna be  _ fine _ ,” says Ten with a roll of his eyes. “Doyoung?”

“Sent.”

“Ten, last time you said everything's gonna be fine, Yangyang ended up in the hospital.”

“It’ll be  _ fine _ . Stop worrying!”

“Ten,  _ he broke his leg _ .”

“There will be no breaking of bones this time! Scout’s honor!”

“Doyoung.”

“It’ll be fine, Kun. Relax. It’s late, though. You should get home. I should, too. Jae’s probably wondering what I’m up to.” Kun doesn’t get a word in as Doyoung ushers him off the couch and towards his shoes waiting by the door. Before he knows it, he’s tucked away in Doyoung’s car, headed home.

 

* * *

 

“... What are you  _ doing _ ?”

Kun does not expect to see anyone outside of his door when he finally reaches his apartment. It dawns on him that this is probably why Doyoung had sped off as soon as Kun was out of the car. Johnny stands outside of his door, knocking feebly and pressing his cheek against the worn wood. Upon seeing Kun, he immediately straightens, eyes shining  _ way more _ than should be possible in the shitty fluorescent lighting.

“Oh, God, Doyoung texted me to tell me that you weren’t feeling well and I got concerned, so I rushed over, and you weren’t answering the door  _ or _ your phone so I was just trying to make sure you’re okay.”

“I, uh, was actually at Ten’s with Doyoung. I’m fine - my phone just died and I forgot my charger.” His laugh comes naturally as he gently nudges Johnny to the side to unlock his door. “You can come in, if you want. You look exhausted.”

“I ran here because I didn’t know where to park.”

“You  _ ran _ ?” splutters out Kun. He turns towards Johnny as he places his keys in the bowl near the door. “From  _ your _ apartment? Johnny, you basically live on the opposite side of the city.”

“Well, the buses don’t run this late, and I didn’t know where to park… I was just concerned.” Johnny tries to close the door as quietly as possible behind him as he laughs nervously. “You aren’t… angry at me, are you?”

“Oh, God, no, Johnny. Why would I be angry at you?”

“For showing up uninvited.”

“I’m not angry at all! Why would you think that?”

“... Donghyuck said that the last time he showed up unannounced with Renjun, you kicked them out.”

“... Because it was two in the morning on a Wednesday. It’s two am on Sunday, I still have the rest of today off. It’s fine. Do you want tea or anything?” Kun watches as Johnny sits down carefully on the edge of his couch, nodding no. “... Right. I’ll make chai, then? Do you like chai?”

“Do you have anything… fruity?”

“I have pomegranate. Does that sound good?”

“Yeah.”

Kun thinks to himself that he’s glad he let Johnny into his life. That he’s glad Renjun reminded him that falling in love three times isn’t a limit - it’s just a reminder. He thinks that maybe this is how they should’ve started - talking over tea and the muffled sounds of the city outside his window. The way that Johnny’s eyelids droop as exhaustion sets it is a stark contrast to the wild movements of his arms as he describes how he met Jaehyun in college. Kun thinks that this night is like falling in love with Johnny - really, truly falling in love with him. 

“What’re you thinking about?” asks Johnny, eyes wide as he sets down his tea.

“How grateful I am for you.”

 

* * *

 

Kun would be lying if he said that their first kiss was special. It wasn’t like he and Johnny had any previous relationships, anyways. Just being with Johnny was special enough for Kun. He never  _ did _ ask Johnny why it took him five and a half dates to finally muster the courage to ask Kun if he could kiss him, and he never tells anyone that it was actually Kun who asked in the end. It’s awkward and shy and Johnny tastes like the taro milk tea he drank after dinner.

He’ll bring this up again in the distant future, when they’re choosing catering for their wedding. Johnny will ask if they can do  _ something _ involving bubble milk tea, especially for the kids, and Kun will mention how Johnny drank taro milk tea the night of their first kiss. Johnny will groan and ask him not to bring it up again and Kun will pretend that it was a terrible first kiss  _ and _ that he can still feel the pain in his teeth from Johnny’s clumsy movements. In response, Johnny will kiss him on the forehead and say that it doesn’t matter what happened, because in the end they’re getting married.

The two of the present don’t know that, but Kun thinks to himself that he can see spending the rest of his life with the awkward ice cream shop owner. The way that red creeps up Johnny’s neck and settles on his cheeks is endearing to Kun, and he can’t help but gently pull Johnny down to press his lips to his nose.

Kun thinks that their journey to today has been clumsy and that they have a lot to work on, but he wouldn’t have it any other way.

**Author's Note:**

> title from nct 127’s touch!  
> i put less of a focus on the color thing because for kun it didn’t matter all that much - he’s never really had a desire to see color all that much.  
> i wanted this to be nice and short but... it ended up longer than i expected...  
> find me on twitter or curious cat with the same username hehe


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